There are four Bruins who will be taking the field in Indianapolis looking to improve their stock ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.
As it does at the end of every winter, the football world is convening in Indianapolis.
The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine got underway Tuesday, with prospects, scouts, coaches, executives and media members from across the country arriving to take care of some early interviews before getting on the field later in the week. The week-long event will feature over 300 of the most highly-touted college football players looking to take their first step towards the pros, and there are four Bruins who are part of that exclusive group.
In addition to the positional drills each player will be participating in, the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill, 20-yard shuttle and 60-yard shuttle will be the activities that apply to all players who wish to take part in them.
Several position groups will take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium each day starting Thursday, and here is what you can look forward to at the event – both from a scheduling standpoint and a UCLA perspective.
2022 NFL Scouting Combine: How to Watch, Key Info
WHO: QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, RB Zach Charbonnet, WR Jake Bobo, OL Jon Gaines II
DATES: Thursday, March 2 – Sunday, March 5
TIMES: 12 p.m. PT (Thursday, Friday), 10 a.m. PT (Saturday, Sunday)
LOCATION: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
TV: NFL Network
STREAMING: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
March 2: Defensive Linemen, Linebackers
Defensive Line: None
Linebackers: None
The Bruins don’t have anyone taking part in the first day of on-field workouts.
Harvard transfer defensive lineman Jacob Sykes and edge rusher Bo Calvert ran out of eligibility and are expected to pursue pro careers, but neither earned an invite to Indianapolis.
March 3: Defensive Backs, Special Teams
Defensive Backs: None
Kickers: None
For the second day in a row, no Bruin will participate in on-field workouts.
Safety Stephan Blaylock and defensive back Mo Osling III both graduated, but neither is going to the scouting combine. Long snapper Jack Landherr IV – who elected to forgo his final year of eligibility – will not be present either.
March 4: Quarterbacks, Receivers, Tight Ends
UCLA football quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson attempts a pass in the 2022 Sun Bowl.
Quarterbacks: Dorian Thompson-Robinson
Receivers: Jake Bobo
Tight Ends: None
Thompson-Robinson and Bobo will be the first Bruins to take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, with the former potentially delivering passes to the latter in drills.
Both appeared at the East-West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas in February, helping them to earn invites to the combine in the first place.
Thompson-Robinson worked with plenty of coaches and had a lot of highlights throughout the week, but he wasn’t quite as sharp in the all-star showcase game itself. Based on workout tracking data from the past few months, Thompson-Robinson’s 40-yard dash time should be among the fastest of the quarterbacks in Indianapolis, and he could throw the fastest pass of the bunch as well.
The Las Vegas native was listed at 6-foot-1, 205-pounds by UCLA, and he will get his official measurements on Saturday.
Thompson-Robinson started 48 games over the past five years with the Bruins, setting new school records for total yards, total touchdowns and more. In 2022 alone, Thompson-Robinson passed for 3,169 yards and 27 touchdowns on 69.6% passing while rushing for 645 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Bobo was listed at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds by UCLA last fall, and he will also get measured on Saturday morning.
Transferring to UCLA after four seasons at Duke, Bobo racked up 817 yards and seven touchdowns on 57 receptions.
March 5: Offensive Linemen, Running Backs
UCLA football running back Zach Charbonnet carries the ball at the Rose Bowl against USC.
Offensive Line: Jon Gaines II
Running Backs: Zach Charbonnet
Gaines and Charbonnet will close out the week with some blocking and ball-carrying drills on Sunday.
Like Thompson-Robinson and Bobo, Gaines appeared at the East-West Shrine Bowl. Charbonnet, on the other hand, did not go to any of the college all-star showcases.
Charbonnet, who started his career at Michigan, was UCLA’s leading rusher the past two seasons. In 22 appearances with the Bruins, Charbonnet went for 3,014 yards from scrimmage with 27 touchdowns on 6.3 yards per carry and 8.5 yards per reception.
The one-cut back was listed at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds by UCLA last fall.
Gaines played five seasons with the Bruins, emerging as a consistent starter over the past three years at right guard, right tackle and center. This past season, Gaines was listed at 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds.
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Stay tuned to All Bruins all week long for highlights, scouting reports and general takeaways from the five UCLA alumni’s respective performances. Mock draft season is already in full swing, and we’ll keep things up-to-date on the top Bruin prospects’ outlooks after their time in Indianapolis is done.
UCLA football will likely host its pro day later on in March, when these four players – plus other graduating Bruins and early entrants including offensive tackle Raqiwon O’Neal, wide receiver Kazmeir Allen and offensive guard Atonio Mafi – are expected to show up for scouts at Wasserman Football Center. The exact date and the list of participants has yet to be confirmed.
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